


Mirror, Mirror. Would You Lie To Me?

by KryHeart_Ardy



Series: The Light Of A Thousand Wishes [6]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Fluff and Fun, Gen, Magic, Mirror Mirror, Raven's redemption, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-12
Updated: 2018-03-12
Packaged: 2019-03-30 14:49:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13953897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KryHeart_Ardy/pseuds/KryHeart_Ardy
Summary: Weiss, torn between making her own decisions in life and remaining her seat like a porcelain doll comes to the decision that if she is to figure the path for her future she is going to break one the most important rules in her home. To call and speak to the Mirror.Only things never turn out the way you expect them to.





	Mirror, Mirror. Would You Lie To Me?

**Author's Note:**

> Heeeeys! So i was completely inspired by the soundtrack from the 'Ori and the will of the wisps' trailer. Its sad and pulls on your heartstrings but thinking about it just pushed me towards one of the more lonely figures in RWBY. Weiss is not someone I would normally write and in this story I am setting it back a few years from where we now in the series. Think year or so before Vol 1 Weiss but sadder and lonelier because there is noone there for her right now.   
> Still my Wizard is knocking around somewhere *looks around* or at least he was. Anyway enjoy folks and have a lovely day. :D Oh and if you wanted the soundtrack listen to this!   
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kPSl2vyu2Y&t=20s

It was huge, that was the first thought that entered her mind as she gazed up upon what would help her decide her future. Speckled with thousands of tiny snowflakes, they bunched up at the corners and floated down over each of the fours sides. Her breath frosted over the glass like white puffs of smoke, a stark contrast in the otherwise frozen room. 

 

* * *

 

The corner of Weiss’s lip curled up in a poor imitation of a smile, though her glacial blue eyes remained cold and empty. Not for the first time today she wondered if she hadn’t gone mad, everyone knew that entering this room was a punishable offense. If she were caught in here not even she, the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company would be pardoned. Was it worth it? Weiss could turn back now and relock the doors, no one would have to know she had been in there. But then she would have to return to that place. 

What was worse, dancing with the prospect of death or returning to the lifeless form of a doll? To exist in that place where she was no better than a puppet. The young woman lifted a hand to her face, tracing down the scar marring her porcelain skin. Its significance had given her the ability to come all this way, was she now going to turn tail and run like a coward? Some of the light returned to her eyes, she would not turn back. 

Weiss took a step forward, fully entering the room and the door shut behind her, shutting herself off from the rest of the world, if only for a short time. Someone would discover she was not where she should be and come looking soon enough. It was only a matter of time before her father checked the forbidden room so she would need to be quick. 

Weiss knew the rules of her household and she had heard the horrific tales of those who had decided to take those tales and break them. It was said that should one defy the rules and enter this room at first all they would see is black, It was windowless and without a single light. The one and an only door behind her stood white and ornate, its cold frame reflected the room Weiss now stood alone in. Heeled shoes clinked over the black marble, the walls were an equally dark shade. One would assume the room would be impossible to see in but there was a soft pale light coming from the only object possessing the room. Weiss could see each corner as she stepped towards it, flecks of snow and ice glittered around the frame of the Mirror. 

No one knew where it had come from, only that it was forbidden to look at. A younger more childlike Weiss had been terrified of the stories, often seeking shelter in her older sisters arms when nightmares struck. An older Weiss simply scoffed and ignored the shivering goosebumps that littered her skin on occasion. One story, in particular, had a man whom had gazed into its depths and had their eyes painted black before becoming blind as punishment. There was fear in the young woman’s heart, it beat against her ribcage so hard he thought it would burst from her chest. Hands clasped together at the front of her skirt she carried on, drawing closer to the Mirror. She would not turn back now. 

The Mirror was easily ten foot tall and wide enough to fit a frame such as General Ironwoods with space to spare. Weiss stood now a mere few inches from the reflective glass. From this close, she could see the thousands of tiny snowflakes littered all over the mirrors edge. Her breath left misty white smoke over the glass. Her reflection stared back at her unmoving, the scar over her eye was like someone had drawn a vertical line in pale rose, it started just above her brow and as it reached her eyelid it drew diagonal before stretching down towards her cheekbone. Most who saw it was appalled at the imperfection her father included. They saw it as a weakness, a lapse in judgment, a shame. Weiss saw it as a mark of freedom. 

Freedom. 

First Defiance, now freedom, the words played around in her head, touching a part of her that until recently she hadn’t known existed. And wasn’t that the reason she was here now? To get the answer she sought with every fiber of her being. Wasn’t this the reason why she had broken one of the most important rules and entered a room forbidden to all? Weiss studied the mirror again, her heart ached and she blinked back the stinging tears that threatened to leave her eyes. She would not go back.

Her gloved hands rose from their spot and the heiress gently tugged the gloves off. Gloves weren't really her thing, they were Winters and had been left behind when her older sister had returned to her post. The soft white fabric smelt like her and confronted the younger girl when her mind wanted to collapse from stress. Still as hard as it was to part with them even for a moment they would not be needed here so she carefully tucked them into the belt around her waist. Her pale hands immediately felt the loss of warmth and shivered slightly but Weiss finally lifted her right hand and reached for the Mirror. 

The young woman watched her reflection stare back at her as the right hand inched closer. Their azure eyes blinked and her flesh touched the cold surface of the Mirror. Weiss summoned her Aura, felt it shimmer over her hand in its Glyph pattern. Just a touch, the Glyph was like her name and it settled onto the Mirror between her and her reflection, it was now or never. “Mirror, Mirror, on the wall.”

Her heart felt like a bird battering at its cage, she wanted so badly to set it free. “Mirror, Mirror, on the wall.”

The Glyph glowed a bright white-blue and began pulsating. “Mirror, Mirror, on the wall!” 

“Show me the path I’m destined for!”

The words rung around in Weiss’s ears as they echoed through the room, she hadn’t voiced them. Realising her eyes were tightly shut they flew open and met her own in the Mirror. Her reflection stared back at her but this time there was a smile, her own mouth dropped in surprise. When her reflection spoke again it dawned on Weiss to stand straighter, though her hand didn’t leave the Mirrors surface she felt her reflection entwine their fingers. She could feel each individual digit matching her own curling over the back of her hand. “Was that what you wished to know?”

Weiss was suddenly very unsure about her ability to handle herself, none of the stories she had heard had mentioned the reflection speaking back. “Y-yes.” 

“Don’t be afraid child, many have come before you. Most wishes are shallow and unkind, their promises like the bottom of an empty barrel.” Her reflection spoke back to her.

“Does that mean you ‘have’ blinded people before?” Weiss wanted to uncurl her hand from the Mirrors, she was scared. 

Laughter bounced off the walls. “That was not your question Miss, and I shall only answer one.”

Remembering the reason she had come here Weiss nodded and asked her question. “Mirror Mirror, on the wall, show me the path I am destined for.” 

Immediately the surface of the mirror shifted and her reflection parted into two, now there were two Weiss’s reflected and the young woman looked down at their joined hands. She didn’t remember placing her left hand on the Mirror but now both her hands were entwined with the Mirrors reflections. 

Twin sets of eyes stared back at her, their conjoined voices harmonized. “Two paths of destiny lies.”  Weiss turned to one reflection as she spoke, “One wanted, One sought, take the right and live free, take the left and see what may be.” then her head whipped round to the other as she took her turn to speak. “Step inside but don't take both, only one can be moved and the other stays stuck.”

“Step inside.” Hands entwined with her reflections Weiss stepped forward, the Mirror surface was freezing but as it rippled the heiress found it was much like a pane of water and her body walked right through it. 

Once inside the young woman took a moment to wrap her arms around her waif form, only realizing that her reflections were gone and she was alone. The room she now stood in was as identical as the one she had come from, if much much colder. The only difference was that in the center of the room between the Mirror and the door there were two pedestals in white stone. Walking closer she noticed two objects on them, one was an ornament of her family Glyph, the white snowflake was peppered with familiar patterns. It glowed her signature blue-white and spun in circles. 

The other object was her sword Myrtenaster, Its dust rounds clinked in their barrels, the blade glistened sharply at the end. “One wanted. One sought.” Before the young woman could even take another step she heard a shredding behind her. Her body spun as she ran for the Mirror before she had even registered doing so. There on the other side of the Mirror was her reflection but now she was grinning as she held Winters gloves up, shredding the delicate fabric in two. “What the hell!” Weiss stepped into the Mirror only to be flown back and landed on the floor several feet away. Shocked the young woman got up and started banging on the Mirror but with each time her body made contact there was a rippling like hard plastic and Weiss found herself unable to leave. “Hey, what have you done?! Let me out!” 

The reflection sidled up to the Mirror but didn’t touch the cold surface. “I must thank you, Miss Schnee, it's been many many years since anyone has even come into this room. So much so I was afraid I would never get out.” Its face, Weiss’s face shifted into a flux look of shock, then she giggled. The sound grated on Weiss's ears, it reminded her of all the young women who tried to pull her into their group of friends just so they could use her family name to gain more attention. “But YOU, you just didn’t listen did you. Defied everyone, didn’t you?” The reflection bent down slightly her hands clasped together at the bottom of her back “If it wasn’t for your insecurities I would have never been able to get you to touch the Mirror. Now YOU are stuck in there, at least until someone else comes along. Someone stupid and naive, maybe even a little afraid. All you have to do it get them to walk into the Mirror and then you'll be free.”

“What?!” What the hell was this? The heiress had never heard of such a thing. It didn’t make sense.

“Of course, you see there was a reason why this room was sealed Miss Schnee, Oh! I guess that would be me now. Hahahahaha.” The reflection wrapped her arms around her stomach and laughed, bending over slightly. “I should probably get used to being called Weiss, hmmm. Oh but don’t worry, people often break the rules don’t they?” The reflection seemed to get lost in thought before it grinned widely. It wasn’t an ugly expression but it did make Weiss cringe slightly, she would never act like this. “Oh wait they don’t . . . at least not here, not anymore.” The reflection watched as fear became very evident in the platinum-haired woman's face. “Hey and maybe I’ll add another lock to this door, or better yet paint over it. OH! I GOT IT.”

“What?” Weiss watched as her reflection came within an inch of the Mirror, she wanted so badly to reach out and grab her but the surface of the Mirror was unbreakable. 

The reflection cupped her hands over its mouth so she could tell Weiss in a very loud whisper. “I am going to build a wall over this room's door. Then nobody can EVER enter this room. EVER again.” Weiss watched with horror as her reflection dropped the now ruined gloves onto the floor, her eyes burned with tears, she had been so stupid and now . . . 

The sound of the door opening drew her attention back as the reflection of Weiss Schnee waved cheerily at the woman trapped in the Mirror before closing the door behind her. The sound of the room being locked was the last straw for Weiss as her knees buckled and she fell onto the floor and cried. 

“Please, somebody. Help me.”

 

* * *

 

“Please, somebody. Help me.”

The words were scrawled in a delicate handwriting over a pale blue ribbon and the Wizard tapped slowly on the desk, wondering if he should help. Mirrors were a bad bet, they never told the truth, at least not the whole truth. People only ever saw or heard that which they wanted to and who was he to get involved in something like this. This person's ignorance was their own downfall. Thought she knew everything and instead got herself trapped in a Mirror, now her reflection is wandering around and living a life not theirs. Oz turned to the little wicker waste bin and held the blue ribbon over it. This wasn’t his problem to fix. 

 

* * *

 

You didn’t see too many birds in Atlas, it was often too cold for their small bodies and any who were stupid enough to fly during the day were likely to be shot from the sky for dinner. Still, that didn’t stop Raven as she flew to the large white and blue mansion. Though it was just shy of dusk the cold of the northern continent was enough for the woman to have her teeth chattering, that is if she were in human form. 

The Schnee mansion was as cold as it was quiet, if Raven didn’t know any better she would have said the mansion was made of snow itself. Looks like her luck was in, someone had obviously been stupid enough to leave one of the high windows open ajar, making her way in easier then she thought it could have been. Then again, security in Atlas, any part of the stinking frozen continent was always on high alert. Shame they weren't looking for an ‘innocent’ little bird. Still, as she landed the bandit leader took every precaution to slowly transform back and slink as silently as possible through the window. The household in a place like this was the ‘not to be seen, not to be heard’ bunch and Ravens boots tapped quietly over the icy marble and tiled grounds as she made her way through the mansion, searching for her destination. 

So many priceless artworks and ornaments. Raven would never be able to understand why someone wanted to keep all these valuable belongings out in the open, maybe the owners thought no one was stupid enough to steal from them. The Red-eyed woman had the urge to bury her blade in one of the many portraits of a man with icy blue eyes. Yuck! What tacky tastes. Raven rolled her eyes, she wasn’t here to butcher the man, she was here to help save a life. 

The room was easy to spot, there was a notice on the door as Raven read it her stomach dropped. It was to be walled over tomorrow, that left her very little time. A lifetime of being a bandit and learning the skills that went with it made getting rid of the lock a walk in the park and Raven quietly slipped into the room. The sound of weeping reminded her to put her mask on, the bone white Grimm mask covered the entirety of her face, just leaving slits for her red eyes visible to everyone who looked at her. A few of her black feathers swirled around her as she adjusted the mask and they flattened over the back of her head. One feather, in particular, landed on the curve of her neck and just swished when she walked.

The room wasn’t as dark as she had expected and the white mirror was pinned to the back of the room. A pair of cashmere white gloves sat on the floor, ripped and dirty but it was the crying woman on the other side of the mirror that Raven had come for. 

She sat on the floor with her back against the Mirror’s surface. She obviously hadn't heard Raven come in, probably due to her own crying. It was an odd sight that was for sure, even as Raven could see her own reflection walk closer, Weiss's head remained down, pressed to her knees. One could hardly tell it was a Mirror as the lack of light in the room hid any revealing characteristics. If it wasn’t for the multitude of sparkling snowflakes surrounding the frame Raven would have thought her hand would go right through the glass. However when she reached out and taped on the surface only once it was enough for Weiss to shoot up and started banging on the glass from the other side. 

“Please help me! I need to get out!” Weiss wasn’t sure who this woman was and at the moment she didn’t care, the Grimm mask concealed all of her features but she prayed this person could release her. 

Raven wasn’t very good with kids, especially crying ones. So she adopted her leader's voice and crossed her arms, her head tilted upwards in a superior manner. “This is your own fault you know, you were an idiot for believing a reflection. Didn’t anyone ever tell you about the lies of a Mirror?”

Weiss immediately lowered her head, her hands pressed against the glass, there were tears in her voice to be sure. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to know. I-I needed some direction and there was nobody I could ask.” She leaned her head on the glass, crying had made her face hot and the cold glass was almost soothing. Lifting her head slightly she studied the older woman. “Will you help me get free, please.” 

“I cannot free you.” Raven saw the way the young woman’s eyes welled up again and added. “But I know of a way that may help you free yourself.” 

Hope is an odd thing. It can be both powerful and it can also be crippling, for Weiss it was all she needed to know. Her icy blue eyes dried with a defiance and she stood straighter, facing the woman who had come to aid her. “What do I need to do?”

That's a good look. For someone whose name means ‘snow,’ she has a strong fire in her. Raven would never say she was impressed but she did feel this young woman would be able to do it, to break a Mirrors Curse. “Okay, now the reflection convinced you to enter willingly, promising something. That means whatever you asked it was is in there, or out here? Try to remember, what did the Mirror say?” 

Weiss was confused as much as Raven was but she remembered the conversation well. “It said ‘Two paths of destiny lies. One wanted, One sought. Take the right and live free, take the left and see what may be.’ Then it said ‘Step inside but don't take both, only one can be moved and the other stays stuck.’ Does that help?”

Raven nodded, her voice was slightly muffled from the mask but since it was so quiet in the room Weiss had no problems hearing her. “Mirrors don’t tell the whole truth, they lie. Like in Two paths of Destiny lies. It means they were lying.” Raven could see the pedestals in Weiss’s background “What are those?”

Weiss looked behind her. “My sword and my family Glyph.” Even now they called for her, though she didn’t know what to do. If anyone told her this morning that she would be deceived and lulled into a Mirror world she would have called them stupid or a dolt or saw to it they had medical leave. Now, however, she didn't know who was crazier. Realising the masked woman was talking again Weiss returned her attention to the question.

“One wanted, one sought. Which is which?” Raven asked. 

The azure woman shook her head. “I am not sure. I don’t even think there is a difference between wanted and sought.” 

Raven almost leaned her chin into her hand before remembering the mask and paced a short bit instead. “Maybe it's the objects that hold significance, the Glyph is easy, your family namesake. The Schnee. What about the sword?”

“I.. I-I wanted to become a huntress.” Weiss lowered her head again. “I am not ignorant of the things my family has done, especially my father. I wanted to show the world that I am my own person and. . . I feel the need to make things right.” Now that the dam had been cracked the flood of water came through. “I want to honor my family name but not while the name Schnee is carted around like a bad smell. I promised myself I wouldn’t be the person my father wanted me to be but to be a person I can feel proud of. To scrub clean my family name, the Schnee company wasn’t always the disgrace it is now and I want to be strong enough that I can bring it back. My father wasn’t the start of my family name and I refuse to let him be the end of it. Does that make sense?” 

Raven let the young Schnee talk and under her mask, there was the smallest of smiles. “Yes, it makes all the sense in the world.” 

“But how does that help us now?” Weiss growled out, somewhere along her talk she felt her energy come back, the purpose of everything she had been fighting for and it made her feel so much stronger. 

Raven pointed at Weiss. “That’s easy Weiss. The Glyph and sword are both things you want and seek. The family name may be ‘who’ you are but a Huntress will be ‘what’ you are. You cannot have one without the other, the fight comes to you but without the force behind it, it wouldn’t exist.” 

“But the reflection said . . .”

“Mirrors lie, remember Weiss. It's simple, take up your sword. Fight to become the person you want to be. Pick up your family name because it's what you fight to repair. ‘Step inside but don’t take both’ You cannot become a full person without a dream and the motivation behind it.” Raven leaned one hand on her hip as she watched Weiss take it in. 

“You think that will work?”

Raven nodded, sometimes it took someone of a different mindset to see the things others could not. “To be who you are is to be what you are. Weiss, you are a Schnee but you are also a fighter, a Huntress. Cast aside notions of only being half of who you are and grasp both in a firm grip and never forget the reason you work hard.” Even as she spoke the words, Raven felt something in her chest break slightly. Memories of a haunted time forever frozen in a ball of crystal, snow and blood burned at her eyes.

Weiss nodded, thankfully the Grimm mask shielded Raven’s faltering emotions from the young woman’s gaze. “I understand now.” Moving to the pedestals, the heiress first removed Myrtenaster from its place, its weight familiar and comforting in her hand. The weapon of her choice, how she would make her place in the world, as a Huntress. Then she went to lay her hand over the Glyph, for one moment afraid that the mysterious stranger was wrong and that she would not be able to heft the symbol of her family. Yet when her hand curled around the snowflake she found it came away from the stone stand with ease. The person she is and always will be, the motivation behind her hard work and desire to fight. “Ha. Hahaha, It worked!” Grinning Weiss started for the Mirror, her smile dimmed a bit. “But the Mirror. . . “ Red eyes just waited for her a few feet from the surface and slowly Weiss inched closer until her nose almost touched it. 

“You can do it, Weiss, have courage. You have come this far, take that step forward and be the person you are ‘meant’ to be.” Raven wasn’t one for encouraging but she felt immense pride when the younger woman took that final step and the Mirror rippled around her allowing her exit. 

Weiss felt the room get warmer as she was finally released from the Mirrors prison, her Glyph in her hand slowly vanished and the sword pulsed only once but she felt its approval. Turning back around to the Mirror she saw something that would stay with her for many years to come. The sight of her reflection, her face- no its face, red with fury, shoulders scrunched up to its ears and both hands fisted at its sides. “HOW DARE YOU! I WAS FREE, HOW DID YOU ESCAPE!” The reflection rammed the Mirror but was only shoved back by the same invisible force Weiss had met earlier. “You are NOTHING, do you hear me! NOTHING. They will never forgive you, NEVER!”

Weiss felt oddly calm despite seeing the being in the Mirror, the being that took on her form shout and scream, beat at the glass Mirror but was unable to escape. “You are a liar, I have all the answers I needed.” Then with a business like a smile that could put her fathers to shame she added. “It was a pleasure doing business with you.” Weiss didn’t let the shaking from relief and fear show until she and the mysterious stranger exited the room and relocked it. 

Once it was done the heiress leaned her forehead on the door and pushed back her tears. Turning she went to thank her savior but when she looked around she realized she was all alone. The person who had helped her was gone, almost like they had never been there, Weiss turned to an open window and watched a little black bird fly away from the mansion. Could that have been? 

“Miss Schnee?!” Spinning Weiss saw Klane racing up the hallway towards her, he seemed rather out of breath as he came to a halt just before her. “Where on earth did you go to Snowflake. One minute you were asking me to organize a shopping trip for tomorrow and the next you vanished.” 

So her reflection had already started to make plans, a way to live her life while Weiss remained trapped in the Mirror. Strangely the heiress wasn’t even mad, even more so when she saw the notice on the door about the Mirror room being walled off. This life was hers to live and that was what she was going to do. Weiss smiled softly at the shorter man. “Yes Klane, I believe a trip for a new outfit is in order.” 

The butler frowned slightly, his orange colored eyes trying to fill in the banks of his memory for a purpose. “What kind of outfit are you thinking of, I don’t recall an event being held this week.”

Now Weiss laughed, she saw the odd but happy look that crossed her favorite butler's face and shook her head. “No, nothing like that Klane, I would simply like something I can attend Beacon in.”

 

* * *

 

She had just made it over the water when Raven tumbled from the sky hitting the sandy beach of Vale. Her Aura protected her from most of the fall but it still pulled a scream from her throat. WHY!!! Whether it was out of anger or helplessness Raven didn’t know but she beat her fists against the sandy ground and cried. She was Raven Branwen, she never cried. The tied swept over her form and mixed itself with her salty tears and stained cheeks. Already sand and muck from the sea coated her body, she could feel it grind into her feathery hair but she paid it no heed. 

Why had Oz not warned her about the Mirror? Once Weiss had been released and her reflection returned Raven’s own reflection seemed to have taken a mind of its own. Taunting her with the words she never wanted to hear again. The reflection had known Raven wouldn’t fall for its plot especially so soon after helping release Weiss so it had tried to hurt her the only way it knew how. 

By showing Raven her betrayal of Summer Rose. 

How she had left her friend, the person she thought of as a sister, to die at the hands of the Grimm monsters that had come for them. “You might as well have slit her throat with your own sword!” Raven had barely made it out of the room, following the younger woman without a word. She had known that if she faltered, even for a second she would never have been able to leave. She would have gone into the Mirror and punished them both. It was only the years of servitude and the promise of Summers return that had held her together long enough for the door to be locked behind them. She hadn’t even said goodbye to the Schnee girl, just silently opened the nearest window and flew as far and far away as possible. 

Raven didn't want to go back to the Wizard, she wasn't even sure she would be able to hold herself together in his presence. Nor could she go home, either to the bandit camp or Tai’s arms. She was the reason they had lost Summer and until she was able to get her back she couldn’t, wouldn’t crawl back into his arms, no matter how much she desperately wanted to.

Slowly Raven crawled her way back up the bank, the night sky was dark and heavy with clouds tonight. The tree she chose to lay under was wide enough that if it rained she wouldn’t get too wet. The avian woman looked out to the sea, the waves beat back and forth lulling her into a soft sleep. She didn’t deserve to go home. She missed her brother, even when he was being an ass. She missed her little dragon, the sunny blonde locks that reminded her of spun gold. She missed her sister, Summer’s sweet laugh, and her baking. She even missed the little crimson tipped imp as well. But most of all she missed Tai, his warm hugs, and gentle eyes. The way he would hold her . . . Sleep came fast for Raven, her mind too tired from the abuse earlier and just slept under the tree. 

It was a wonder no Grimm attacked her that night but maybe they could see it just wasn't worth attacking someone who was already broken more then they could ever destroy. 

 

* * *

 

The wizard looked down at the sleeping woman under the tree, she didn’t even stir when he draped a white cotton blanket over her form. She would hate him even more in the morning when she found out but he wasn’t about to let her catch her death of cold. As he straightened his aging body his ears caught onto the sounds of low growling coming from deeper in the forest. They were soon accompanied by several pairs blinking red eyes and the scent of blood. Beowulf's. 

The wizard waved his hand over the dense forest and let out in an almost silent whisper as to not wake Raven. “Bí imithe.” The softly spoken command, sent with a touch of his magic had the creatures of Grimm scurrying away from them. He hummed quietly, that would be enough to keep them away until dawn and looked back down. The Wizard sighed at the usually strong avian woman sleeping defenseless in the open. Already Raven’s hair was a mess of sand and tangles and a few twigs but that was her problem to fix when she woke. With years of practice and hardly a stir in the grass, he left her sleeping, returning to his cottage. Tomorrow would be another day, she needed to rest for now. 

As Oz went around him home, making a few pre-bed preparations he felt some of his earlier frustration return. He could still remember the Raven’s fury when she found out he had no intention of helping the Schnee child. It hadn’t been anything to do with her family name but more that Mirrors reflected something in him he didn’t wish to see. They were as devious as they were truthful, as merciless as they were eye-opening. He would never admit to being afraid, not to anyone else and especially not to himself either. No there were things, many things he didn’t want to see reflected back at him. 

Not to mention they girls call hadn’t even been a wish nor had it been a promise. So the little ribbon of icy blue was not of any use to him. Even as his hand had been poised over the bin, the little scrap ready to be floated down and forgotten Raven had snatched it away from him. A cry for help should not be ignored, Raven had said angry with him, though that was nothing new. Not to mention it was of no benefit to his plans could not contribute to her deal with him. Even as he explained this to her, Raven had taken the little blue slip and left through the window heading straight towards Atlas. Had she waited he would have explained or at least warned her about the devious ways a Mirror could act. 

The Wizard had kept an eye on her, she was after all his only key to the outside world. It had been difficult to keep his eyes from straying to the surface of the Mirror, even though he had not been physically there. Just a feather, one of the many that adorned Raven’s outfit, it was enough for him to sense if not see what was happening. Obviously whatever she had seen reflected in their depths had shaken the woman to her core. 

As the Wizard looked over his shoulder his window open just slightly ajar should she wake and come to him he couldn’t help but want to give her what she wanted right now. His head bowed slightly with a deep sadness, knowing that Raven had already done more then he had asked of her and deserved to have Summer Rose returned by now. Then he shook his head and slipped between the simply cotton sheets, he still needed her help so he wouldn’t release her from her contract just yet.

Raven was much like her namesake, a bird that should be able to fly free. Yet here he was trapping her inside a cage, blackmailing in a sense. Willing to give her what she had sought him out for but not until he was able to finish what he returned to Remnant to do. 

He wasn’t finished.

He wasn’t ready. 

He wasn’t complete. 

No matter how much he wished he was. 

  
  



End file.
